1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating system and method for generating an image to which a background image is added.
2. Description of the Related Art
Documents produced with a computer using application software, such as a word processor or a spreadsheet program, can be printed on a sheet by a printer. For example, when printing documents produced using a spreadsheet program, the computer sends a spreadsheet form (data for frames of a spreadsheet) to the printer first, then the computer sends print data, including alphanumeric character code or the like to the printer. The printer synthesizes the image of the spreadsheet form and the image of the print data using a so-called overlay method, and prints the synthesized image.
Also, a background image is added to each item of a spreadsheet or a graph. For example, when a user wants to add background colors item by item (column by column) for separation, the user specifies the background color data in addition to the other data. Background color data, in addition to a spreadsheet form and print data, are sent to a printer from a computer. The printer synthesizes the image of the spreadsheet form, the image of the print data, and the image of the background colors, and prints the synthesized image.
Since according to conventional technology, however, the background color data must be sent to the printer from the computer in addition to the spreadsheet form and print data As a result, the amount of data to be sent to the printer is increased and it takes a long time to transfer the data. As it is also necessary for application software to include a function for outputting background color data such a program is complex. Furthermore, an operation performed by the user becomes complex because of the need to specify the background colors.